Hat-stretching device



Patented Feb. 5, 1929. f

UNITED STATES STEPHEN J. MILLER, on DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

HAT-STRETCHING DEVICE.

Application filed May a, 1925. Serial No. 28,760.

, This invention relates to devices for stretching hats. One of the objects thereof is to provide a hat stretching apparatus which is practical and efficient in action. Another objectis to provide a device of the above nature whereby hats may be stretched accurately and dependably for convenient accommodation to the head of the wearer. Another object is to provide a hat stretching device which is adaptable to all sizes of hats and which procures the desired results in a uniform manner without distorting or misshaping the hat. Another object is to'provide such a device which issimple in construction and inexpensiveand yet strong and durable. Other ob jects will be in part obvious or'in part pointed out hereinafter. p

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elemerits, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinater described and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly broken away to better disclose the structure;

Figure 2 is a central vertical section;

Figure 3 is a top plan view, and

Figure 4 is a detail in perspective of one of the parts of the apparatus.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing. 1 i

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing in detail, there is shown a hollow upright frame 10 provided with a widened base 11 by means of which the apparatus is adapted to be supported upon a suitable table or bench. The upper portion of this frame 10 is en larged, as shown at 12, and above this part 12, the walls of the frame extend outwardly laterally providing a fiat annular supporting surface or table 13. 1

Upon this table 13 are supported a plurality of members 14, in this instance fourin number, which are independently slidabie thereon in a radial direction toward and away from the center line of the frame. At their outer ends, these slidable members 1 1 are provided with curved rip-standing flanges 15. When the members 14 are at their innermost tions, that is, when they are moved inwai toward the center to theirfurtherrt extent, the ends. of adjacent flanges 15 substantially abut, as shown in Figure 3, and

the four flanges 15 combined describe an oval contour corresponding tothe oval shape of a hat. Preferably the supporting table 13 is also oval in shape. shown in dotted lines a hat in position upon the device, and it will be seen that the flanges 15 enter the crown of the hat and are adapted to engage the inner surface of the side walls of the oval crown. The flanges or sections 15 are provided at their bases with projecting ledges 15* which, engaging the lower surface of the inner portion of the brim 0f the hat, limit the movement of the flanges 15 into the crown and support the hat in positionfor operation thereon as will presently, be described. The flanges 15 are preferably of substantial height, entering the hat crown to a substantial distance, so that a substantial portion of the crown adjacent the band por- ,tion isacted upon by thestretching device. It is to be understood that by the term band portion is meant the area of the hat in the vicinity of the junction of the crown and brim, the size of this portion determining the head size of the hat.

A hat having been placed in position as shown in Figure 1,.it will be seen that if now the members 14 with their flanges 15 are forced outwardly, the band portion of the hat is stretched and enlarged. Moreover, this stretching action takes place in four direcbevel gear 17. Mating with this gear 17 is a In Figure 1 there is at the sides in a single gear 18 fixed upon a horizontal shaft 19.

This shaft 19 projects through the frame 10 and at its outer end is provided with a suitable hand wheel 20. The shaft 19, passing through theframe' 10, is rotatably supported in a bushing 21 carried in an opening 22 ofthe frame, this opening 22being of sufficient diameter to permit passage therethrough of the gear 18 for assembly or disassembly of the parts. The shaft 16, at its lower end. is supported by a suitable thrust collar 23 bearing upon a horizontal partition 24, forming part of the frame casting. By manipulation. of the hand wheel 20 the screw-threaded shaft ldrnay be rotated either direction! rile inner are of at. amenamaaee 121 i are beveled, as shown at 14 and these beveled surfaces are adapted to coact with a cam 25. This cam is shown in detail in Figure i, and will be seen to be provided with four sloping surfaces 25", 25 and 25 which are adapt ed respectively to coact with the beveled inner ends of the four slidable members 14. The cam is provided with a vertical central bore 26 which is threaded and coacts with the threads of the threaded shaft 16. The upper portion of the cam 25 rests in the chamber 27 Within the part 12 of the frame, and therein are provided a pair of upstanding pins 28 which hold the cam against rotation relative to the frame.

Thus by rotating the hand wheel 20, thereby rotating the threaded shaft 16, the cam 25 is raised or lowered. The cam is provided with a downwardly projecting part 27* which extends into the lower chamber 29 of the frame, and at the par-tilt) the inside of the franieflisafinished to provide a bearing surface for. this part 25 so that the cam is guided and steadied in its up and down movement.

The sliding members 1 1 are held in place upon the table 13 by a cap 31 which is secured to the table 13 as by screws 32 (Figs. 1 and 3). This cap31 closes the top of the frame, concealing the cam 25 and the inner endsof the slidingmembers 14.- and is shaped as shown atBP (Fig. 1), to accommodate and guide the sliding members 14.

The members let are urged inwardly against the surfaces of the cam 25 bymeans of a spring 33. This spring 83 preferably takes the formof a continuous coiled spring which is hooked over suitable hooks 3% projecting from the inner sides of each of the flanges 15. In this manner a uniform. restraining force is hadupon each of the radially slidable. members 1d.

When the cam 25 is raised by turning of the hand wheel .20, the slidable members i l, with their curved upstanding flangesliare forcedoutwardly in unison, evenly and accurately; stretching the band. portion of the hat atall points. The. slopes of the cam surfaces 25 25 25 and 25 are substantially identical so that, witha given movement of the cam 25, the expansion of the. oval stretcher is uniform in all directions. The hat is thus dependably stretched without undue distortion ormisshaping thereof. Since the flanges 15 enter the crown to a substantial distance, an objectionable bulge where the stretching action ends, is avoided. In some instances, in order to satisfactorily stretch the hat, it may be found necessary to place the hatcupon thestretcher and leave it there for an appre ciablelength of time. lVith this apparatus,

thismay bedone, since the resistance of the screw threads and of the cam action. is such that they will hold themembers 14 outwardly inany positionto which they are move against the action of the spring 33 and against the reaction of the stretched hat. The apparatus is capable of a wide range of action for accommodating varying sizes of hats and moreover, througgghout its range of action, an extreme fineness of adjustment is attainable. The apparatus is sturdy in construction, capable of dependable service, and the moving parts are so enclosed that danger of grease or oil finding its way therefrom to the hat is avoided.

Preferably provision is made for heating the upstanding flanges 15 which engage and stretch the hat. The heating may be brought about by suitably formed and shaped electrical heating units 35, which are secured against the inner side of each of the curved flanges or sections 15. When the heat is our ployed the hat is more readily stretched and may more conveniently be given a permanent set in its stretched condition.

From theabove, it will be seen that. there is herein provideda device which attains the objects of this invention, including many practical and important advantages.

As many possible embodiments maybe made of the above invention, and as many changes might be made in the. embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawing, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a hat stretching device,.in combination, a supporting frame carrying an upper housing, a plurality of radially movable members extending. through said housing and adapted to receive thereover a hat and adapted to engage the inner surface of the crown of said hat adjacent the band, a cam slidably supported in said frame and within said housing and movablein a direction at right anglesto theradial movement of said members, said cam being centrally positioned with respect to said members and coacting therewith adapted upon advancement in one direction. to move said members outwardly in unison to stretch the band of said hat, a shaft rotatably supported in said frame, held therein against axial movement and having a threaded engagement with said cam, a shaft extending at right angles to said first shaft and geared thereto, and means. including a crank for manually rotating said last shaft to advance said cam.

2. Ina hat stretching device, in combination, an upright framehaving at its upper end a horizontal supporting table, a plurality of radially extending arms loosely resting upon the surface of said table and having at their outer endsupstanding flanges outlining an oval adapted to engage the inner surface of the crown of a hat adjacent the band, a centrally positioned and vertically movable cam coacting with the inner ends of said arms and ada ted to force the same outwardly to stretch t e band of said hat, means for moving said cam, and a cap member resting upon the surface of said table and secured thereto between said arms said cap having upwardl extending parts fitting over and guiding said arms in then movement and holding them in position on said table, the central portion of said cap covering said cam.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my 0 name to this specification this 29th day of April, 1925.

STEPHEN J. MILLER. 

